John F. Street

John Franklin Street (15 October 1943-) was Mayor of Philadelphia (D) from 3 January 2000 to 7 January 2008, succeeding Ed Rendell and preceding Michael Nutter.

Biography
John Franklin Street was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania in 1943, and he worked as an English teacher before being elected to the Philadelphia City Council in 1978. In 1992, he became President of the City Council, and he was elected Mayor in 2000. He oversaw the demolition of abandoned buildings rather than reusing or restoring historical properties, bringing much-needed investment to the city's poor neighborhoods. He also sought to improve the city's schools, and he banned skateboarding in Love Park in 2002 and added obstacles to prevent skating. In 2006, he signed a smoking ban into law. Street was racially divisive, telling the NAACP in 2002 that African-Americans were running and in charge of the city, and told them to not let anybody fool them. The murder rate hit a seven-year high during Street's tenure, far in excess of those of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In the 2003 election, he was investigated for corruption, but Street manipulated the corruption invesgiation to turn it into an advantage, providing him with more support. He left office in 2008.